History Main / DevilInPlainSight

* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' works in the homicide department of the Miami police department by day, and kills by night; despite this, he stays well under everyone else's "something's not right with him" radar, except for Doakes. Dexter comments at one point about being in a room full of police officers and Doakes being the only one who has any sort of sense of something wrong about him.

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* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' works in the homicide department of the Miami police department by day, and kills by night; despite night. Despite this, he stays well under everyone else's "something's not right with him" radar, except for Doakes. Dexter comments at one point about being in a room full of police officers and Doakes being the only one who has any sort of sense of something wrong about him.

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': [[spoiler:Al-Mualim]]. [[spoiler:Despite every target telling Altair he's lying or using him and there never being any explanations for anything]], everyone pretends to be surprised when he turns out to be the Big Bad.

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* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': [[spoiler:Al-Mualim]]. [[spoiler:Despite [[spoiler:Al-Mualim. Despite every target telling Altair he's lying or using him him, and there never being the lack of any explanations for anything]], everyone pretends to be surprised when he turns out to be the Big Bad.

* ''VideoGame/FEAR3'': The experiments (and abusive parenting) turn Point Man into a killer with a conscience and Fettel into a complete homicidal psychopath. Only one female scientist realizes that they've created a monster out of Fettel and a hero out of Point Man, while every other brainiac on the project outright worships Fettel for being "godlike" and "the next paragon of the human race" and call Point Man a failure for never reaching the bar, in spite of constant self-improvement.

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* ''VideoGame/FEAR3'': ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R. 3]]'': The experiments (and abusive parenting) turn Point Man into a killer with a conscience and Fettel into a complete homicidal psychopath. Only one female scientist realizes that they've created a monster out of Fettel and a hero out of Point Man, while every other brainiac on the project outright worships Fettel for being "godlike" and "the next paragon of the human race" and call Point Man a failure for never reaching the bar, in spite of constant self-improvement.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': Teyrn Loghain was painfully obvious. Though everyone trusts him because he placed the blame on the Grey Wardens and was also a national hero for freeing the kingdom from decades of foreign occupation. The former can also be said of Arl Howe.

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* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': Teyrn Loghain was painfully obvious. Though obvious, though everyone trusts him because he placed the blame on the Grey Wardens and was also a national hero for freeing the kingdom from decades of foreign occupation. The former can also be said of Arl Howe.

** Also Bartrand. Listening to him you wonder why anyone works for him, why Varric hasn't abandoned him, and why Hawke and the rest of the group don't just shoot him on sight. [[spoiler:It would have saved a lot of trouble.]]* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' gives us more than a few examples. Of note is The Illusive Man, who is [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard's]] boss in the second game, who ends up as one of the villains of the third game. It helps that his organization, Cerberus, was openly villainous in the first game. The only reason Shepard is working for him in the second game is that [[EnemyMine the Reapers are a much bigger threat to both of them.]]

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** Also Bartrand. Listening to him him, you wonder why anyone works for him, why Varric hasn't abandoned him, and why Hawke and the rest of the group don't just shoot him on sight. [[spoiler:It would have saved them a lot of trouble.]]* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' gives us more than a few examples. Of note is The Illusive Man, who is [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard's]] boss in the second game, who and ends up as one of the villains of the third game. It helps that his organization, Cerberus, was openly villainous in the first game. The only reason Shepard is working for him in the second game is that [[EnemyMine the Reapers are a much bigger threat to both of them.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', one of missions you can do for the local assassins' guild involves you, around a half-dozen of poor saps who become your victims, and a [[ClosedCircle house locked from the outside]]. Funny thing is, you have the choice of telling one of your victims that you are the assassin right before you off everyone (though she just laughs it off). Add that to the fact that you are the only one who can wears armor or weapons just screams, "I'm an assassin!" When you enter the house, you can't be wearing armor or have weapons drawn. Also, after two or three deaths, at least one of the characters dons armor or finds a weapon.

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* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', one of missions you can do for the local assassins' guild involves you, around a half-dozen of poor saps who become your victims, and a [[ClosedCircle house locked from the outside]]. Funny thing is, you have the choice of telling one of your victims that you are the assassin right before you off everyone (though she just laughs it off). Add that to the fact that you are the only one who can wears armor or weapons just screams, "I'm an assassin!" When you enter the house, you can't be wearing armor or have weapons drawn. Also, after two or three deaths, at least one of the characters dons armor or finds a weapon.

Someone who is so obviously up to no good that the one character who seems ''aware'' of it is shocked [[OnlySaneMan no one else seems to notice]]. Everyone else, especially those with a tendency to be [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Horrible Judges Of Character]], may just consider them a little quirky and wonder what the observant character's problem is.

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Someone who is so obviously up to no good that the one character who seems ''aware'' of it is shocked [[OnlySaneMan no one else seems to notice]]. Everyone else, especially those with a tendency to be [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Horrible Judges Of of Character]], may just consider them a little quirky and wonder what the observant character's problem is.

* The remake of ''Film/TheOmen2006'' has this problem. Unlike [[Film/TheOmen1976 the original]], where Damien's angelic look was a striking contrast to his infernal nature, the new Damien is contantly frowning, glouting, generally creepy and has an "I-hate-you-all-and-hope-you-will-burn-for-all-eternity" look, just in case the marble statue in the third row might not catch up fast enough that he's the Antichrist.

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* The remake of ''Film/TheOmen2006'' has this problem. Unlike [[Film/TheOmen1976 the original]], where [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Damien's angelic look was a striking contrast to his infernal nature, nature]], the new Damien is contantly frowning, glouting, generally creepy and has an "I-hate-you-all-and-hope-you-will-burn-for-all-eternity" look, just in case the marble statue in the third row might not catch up fast enough that he's the Antichrist.

[[caption-width-right:316:[-"We would like to ask you a few questions [[YouAreNumberSix No. 3]]".-] [[note]]New Yorker Cartoon by [[http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Thank-you-gentlemen-you-may-all-leave-except-for-No-3-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8480880_.htm Tom Cheney]]]] [[/note]]

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[[caption-width-right:316:[-"We [[caption-width-right:320:[-"We would like to ask you a few questions [[YouAreNumberSix No. 3]]".-] [[note]]New Yorker Cartoon by [[http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Thank-you-gentlemen-you-may-all-leave-except-for-No-3-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8480880_.htm Tom Cheney]]]] [[/note]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tom_cheney_thank_you_gentlemen_you_may_all_leave_except_for_no_3_new_yorker_cartoon.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:350:"We would like to ask you a few questions [[YouAreNumberSix No. 3]]". [[note]] "Thank you, gentleman-you may all leave except for No. 3" New Yorker Cartoon by [[http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Thank-you-gentlemen-you-may-all-leave-except-for-No-3-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8480880_.htm Tom Cheney]]]] [[/note]]

->''"And when the cops came through, me and Dre stood next to a burnt-down house\\

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[[quoteright:350:http://static.[[quoteright:316:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tom_cheney_thank_you_gentlemen_you_may_all_leave_except_for_no_3_new_yorker_cartoon.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devil_in_plain_sight.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:350:"We [[caption-width-right:316:[-"We would like to ask you a few questions [[YouAreNumberSix No. 3]]". [[note]] "Thank you, gentleman-you may all leave except for No. 3" New -] [[note]]New Yorker Cartoon by [[http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Thank-you-gentlemen-you-may-all-leave-except-for-No-3-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8480880_.htm Tom Cheney]]]] [[/note]]

->''"And when the cops came through, me and Dre stood next to a burnt-down house\\house.\\

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' has an interesting variation in the form of the game's Metal Gear, ST-84 Sahelanthropus. It is a walking bipedal weapon, so anyone who saw it would know it was dangerous. However, it only has conventional weapons, and so wouldn't be subject to any nuclear treaties. But, thanks to the metallic arachea making up it's body, it can become a nuclear bomb. [[note]]Depleted uranium cannot be used as such, but the metallic arachea metabolize uranium and give off uranium-235, nuclear material, as a byproduct.[[/note]]

* An odd example: Mephisto Pheles of ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' seems to be playing with this. It's difficult to tell at this point, but his first entrance drew immediate suspicion. He [[VillainousFashionSense dressed extravagantly]], [[ManinWhite wore all white]], had [[LargeHam dramatic mannerisms]], and his looks made it obvious that he was a demon of some sort. Heck, even his [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name]] [[LouisCypher is an obvious pun on that of a famous demon]]. But then this was subverted as it turned out that [[spoiler:a lot of people have demon blood in the series, and some of them are exorcists.]] Then it turns out that he may be [[spoiler:another one of Satan's sons - possibly his eldest, actually. Then again, the main character is also a son of Satan. So, Mephisto could still go either way at this point.]] He plays loads of "tricks" on his students, such as [[spoiler:letting high-level demons on campus to challenge the potential exorcists (particularly [[AntiAntiChrist Rin]])]] [[TricksterMentor which, he implies, is for the purpose of making them all stronger.]] But then he may have...[[WildMassGuessing some other reasons.]] The fandom suspicion only mounts the more "tricks" he plays, but there's still too much evidence to support the idea that he may [[spoiler:genuinely want to bring peace to Assiah and Gehenna.]] He was in fact friends with Rin's adoptive [[BadassPreacher father]], and was [[spoiler:responsible for sealing Rin's demon soul inside the demon sword when Rin was born.]] Really, he is pretty much the most mysterious character in the series at this point. It's highly possible that he is a Devil In Plain Sight but he may very well be a subversion of the trope. The fandom will have to wait and see.

to:

* An odd example: Mephisto Pheles of ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' seems to be playing with this. It's difficult to tell at this point, but his first entrance drew immediate suspicion. He [[VillainousFashionSense dressed extravagantly]], [[ManinWhite wore all white]], had [[LargeHam dramatic mannerisms]], and his looks made it obvious that he was a demon of some sort. Heck, even his [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name]] [[LouisCypher is an obvious pun on that of a famous demon]]. But then this was subverted as it turned out that [[spoiler:a lot of people have demon blood in the series, and some of them are exorcists.]] Then it turns out that he may be [[spoiler:another is[[spoiler:another one of Satan's sons - possibly his the second eldest, actually. Then again, the main character is also a son of Satan. So, Mephisto could still go either way at this point.]] He plays loads of "tricks" on his students, such as [[spoiler:letting high-level demons on campus to challenge the potential exorcists (particularly [[AntiAntiChrist Rin]])]] [[TricksterMentor which, he implies, is for the purpose of making them all stronger.]] But then he may have...[[WildMassGuessing some other reasons.]] The fandom suspicion only mounts the more "tricks" he plays, but there's still too much evidence to support the idea that he may [[spoiler:genuinely want to bring peace to Assiah and Gehenna.]] He was in fact friends with Rin's adoptive [[BadassPreacher father]], and was [[spoiler:responsible for sealing Rin's demon soul inside the demon sword when Rin was born.]] Really, he is pretty much the most mysterious character in the series at this point. It's highly possible that he is a Devil In Plain Sight but he may very well be a subversion of the trope. The fandom will have to wait and see.

* ''Film/CapeFear'': This trope is the whole point of the film. It's even more obvious in the remake. At least in this case the local police ''did'' actually believe the protagonist's accusations, [[PoliceAreUseless but were powerless anyway]] due to the antagonist being DangerouslyGenreSavvy with regards to legal tricks he can use.

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* ''Film/CapeFear'': This trope is the whole point of the film. It's even more obvious in the remake. At least in this case the local police ''did'' actually believe the protagonist's accusations, [[PoliceAreUseless but were powerless anyway]] due to the antagonist being DangerouslyGenreSavvy pretty cunning with regards to legal tricks he can use.

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